Update on Sick Tank

[pseudoblond]

Ok, after losing 3 discus, with no apparent reason, I have found what I think is an exterior symptom on one of the remaining discus. My little Golden sunrise has a patch of skin on the outside of both gills that looks like a loose dry patch of scales and he appears to be breathing a bit hard. He's only 2 and a half inches across, and I'm having a hard time telling if its actually something or if I'm just seeing a new pattern come out on his gills or something. Since last week, I've been doing daily w/c 20%, added salt, temp 88, ph 7.0, nitrate 0 nitrite 0 ammonia 0. Is there anything I should be doing?? He is eating fine, no other differences in appearance. I've gone through the stickies and searched for treatments but I hesitate to add any meds until I can confirm theres anything actually wrong. I wish I had a digi cam to take a pic and have someone else look to see if I'm seeing something bad. Other fish in tank are corycats, botias, a few neons and a rubberlipped pleco. Nothing has been added to the tank in almost a month. Any ideas from the experts?? Thanks!!!

[Carol_Roberts]

A patch of dry looking skin on the outside of the gill covers is not a disease symptom I am familiar with.

[GulfCoastDiscus]

Is it swimming with clamped fins? Is the dry looking spot behind the pectoral fins? Are the fish in a barebottom tank?

Fish with columnaris will sometimes continue to eat. I would keep all the discus is a barebottom tank and do large water change 50% or more daily and add salt.

[pseudoblond]

The patch on the gills is just the coloring of the scales...I've watched him CLOSELY for the last week and he's fine, I am just being overly paranoid after everything else. He's breathing fine, eating fine, behaving fine....I'm just keeping up with my w/c's now and trying to chill out. Thanks, though!